Scott Finn has a young son with autism. Although the Finns live in a state that has good services for children with autism, they are leaving West Virginia for Florida so that their insurance company will have to pay for ABA (applied behavior analysis) intervention for Max. Scott's article is a plea for West Virginia to pass legislation that will require insurance companies to pay for treatments for persons with autism.
While I don't believe insurance companies should pay for any old intervention out there - and trust me, there are many fad treatments for autism that need to go away - they should have to help families pay for those like ABA that have empirical support. The Finns have been paying for ABA themselves, but have had to take on extra jobs to cover the expenses. It is absolutely ridiculous that they should have to take on second and third jobs; Max needs quality time with his parents as much as he needs intensive intervention.
Mr. Finn's article provides insight into one of many reasons why it is well-past time for lawmakers to get on the ball and do something about the healthcare system in the United States.
Scott Finn's Article
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Oprah
Yep, that's right, Oprah Winfrey gets the first spot on our new blog. Several weeks students in my EBD course mentioned a story that Oprah did on a 7-year-old with childhood schizophrenia. Although I'm not a fan of talk shows I'm posting the link to the story from Oprah's website. The site includes interviews with Jani and her parents and some background information on schizophrenia. Jani on Oprah
Jani's father also has created a website to share the family's story. You can learn more about Jani and follow her fathers' blog here: Jani's Journey
The videos are interesting, informative, and sometimes heart-wrenching. Her parents are very open about their struggles to help Jani and the impact that this is having on their relationship. Kudos to Jani's family for sharing their story in order to increase awareness of this devastating mental illness and for fighting the good fight.
Jani's father also has created a website to share the family's story. You can learn more about Jani and follow her fathers' blog here: Jani's Journey
The videos are interesting, informative, and sometimes heart-wrenching. Her parents are very open about their struggles to help Jani and the impact that this is having on their relationship. Kudos to Jani's family for sharing their story in order to increase awareness of this devastating mental illness and for fighting the good fight.
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